CIAM (Congrès International d’Architecture Moderne) was an international organisation of modern architects that existed from 1928 to 1959 and had an enormous influence on twentieth-century urban planning and architecture. The organisation formulated the principles of functionalism and modern city planning.
Background
CIAM was founded in 1928 in La Sarraz, Switzerland, by Le Corbusier, Sigfried Giedion and others. Its goals were:
- Promoting modernism — architecture should be functional, honest and socially oriented
- International collaboration — architects from across Europe and beyond working together
- Urban planning principles — the city should be rationally divided according to functions
The Athens Charter (1933)
The most famous outcome of CIAM is the Athens Charter, which defined four functions of the city:
- Living — spacious, light, green
- Working — separated from residential areas
- Recreation — parks and sports facilities
- Transport — efficient connections between the functions
Application and influence
CIAM principles were applied worldwide:
- Post-war housing estates — functional separation, tower blocks in green settings
- New cities — Brasília, Chandigarh
- Post-war reconstruction — many European city centres rebuilt along CIAM lines
Criticism
From the 1960s onwards, criticism grew: functional separation led to lifeless neighbourhoods and the human scale was lost. Postmodernism and New Urbanism responded to these shortcomings.
Related terms
- Functionalism
- Modernism
- Urban planning
- Le Corbusier
- Postmodernism
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